Device for locking a series of drawers or doors



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(No Model.)

J. W. HALL.

DEVICE FOR LOOKING A SERIES OF DRAWERS 0R DOORS.

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v J. W. HALL. DEVICE FOR LOOKING A SERIES OF DRAWERS 0R DOORS. No. 341,746.

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(No Model 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 J. W. HALL. 1 DEVIGE FOR LOOKING A SERIES OF DRAWERS 0R DOORS. No. 341,746. Patented May 11. 1886.

$2 z g G E n i G p i WzLZnessasr Irv/671,201 Amp. Jams W MLL M 6 yiwkuzllorrza s N PETERS. Plmmuuw m, washm mmmc Um'rnn STATES PATENT JAMES \VL HALL, OF ALBANY, NEW YORK.

DEVICE FOR LOOKING A SERIES OF DRAWERS OR DOORS.

FEPECIPICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 3&1,'746,dated May 11, 1886.

Application filitl January 27, 1856. Serial No.1E9,9-l'2. (No model.)

To (LE4 whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JAMES \V. HALL, a citi zen of the United States, residing at Albany, New York, have in venteda certain Improved Device for Looking a Series of Drawers or Doors, of which the follow ng is a specification.

The object of this invention is to construct a simple, cheap, and effective automatic locking device for a series of drawers of a cabinet,

[0 a series of doors in a bookcase, or. a series of doors or drawers in articles of furniture generally, the whole being operated by the movement of one of the drawers or doors, as fully described hereinafter, and the device being of such a character that the drawers need not be reduced in size for the reception of the same or the construction of the case modified other than by the recessing or cutting away of parts of the partitions therein.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a perspective view of a cabinet a portion of which has been removed to show my improved locking device. Fig. 2 is a rear view in section of a cabinet, showing the drawers locked.

Fig. 3 is a plan view of part of Fig. 2, with the top of the cabinet removed. Fi 4 is a detached perspective view of the locking device. Fig. 5 is a front'view of the cabinet, and Figs. (3, 7, 8, 9, and 10 are views of modifications of my invention.

Referring to Fig. 1 of the drawings, A represents the frame of the cabinet or desk, and B B B are vertical partitions separating the drawers D, which are supported by and are adapted to slide on horizontal ways or guides O on the side of the frame and on the intermediate partitions in any usual manner.

I have shown in Figs. 1 and 2 a desk or cabi net with four sets of drawers; but for convenience I will describe the locking device as acting on two sets of drawers only, as the device is merely duplicated on the others.

Pivoted to the rear end of the partition B are two plates, 9 g, carrying upright locking- 5 bars G G at each end, which will form by this connection as motion isimparted to them a parallel-ruler movement. One of these drawers,

drawers D is a vertical groove, (1, into which the upright locking-bars G G may be inserted to lock the drawers. The upper end of one of the locking-bars, G, is connected by a link, b, to a plate, a, which is hinged to the side of the partition in such a position that it will be in the path of the opcratirig-drawer D. A spring, 6, which connects the two bars G G, tends to withdraw the said bars from the grooves in the sides of the drawers and to throw the plate a outward when freed from the control of the operating-drawer.

The operation of the locking device is as follows: Supposing the opera-tirig-drawer D to be in its drawn out position, it will, on being moved inward, press the plate a toward the partition B. This movement will be communicated to the upright locking-bars G G,

to move them outward, and thereby to cause them to enter the grooves d in the drawers D, thus locking the latter. When the operating drawer D is pulled out again, the plate a is released from the control of the drawer D, and the spiral spring 0 will draw the locking arms G G together and out of the grooves d in the drawers D, thus unlocking the latter.

When a locking device is to be provided for more than two sets of drawers, I attach a eonnecting-rod,f, to the upper end of one of the locking-bars G G, (preferably by the same pin which connects the link I) to the arm G.) The other end of this connecting-rod f is attached to one of the bars G G of another set of locking-bars at the opposite side of the desk, all intermediate sets being connected at convenient points to this rod Instead of mounting the lock m for the operating-drawer D in the drawer itself, it may be mounted in some convenient part of the frame of the desk or cabinet adjacent to said drawer, as illustrated in the modification, Fig. 6.

In the modification Fig. 7 the retracting spring 6 is placed in a recess in the partition and bears against the hinged plate a.

In the modification Fig. 8 I have illustrated the plate a as in itself a spring; but I prefer in all cases, where practicable, to use the separate spring 6.

It will be understood that in applying my invention to drawers arranged in single sets,

instead of in pairs, as above described, only one of the locking-bars G G will be necessary, as illustrated in the modification Fig. 9. In this modification, also, I have shown the locking-bar G as hung at the,upper end to one arm of a lever, g, the other arm of which is connected by a link, 71, to the hinged plate a.

These modifications tend to disclose the nature of my invention; but I do not confine myself to these constructions aloneas, for example, the locking device maybe placed in front instead of in the rear of the partitions, the operating-drawer may be any drawer of the series, and one of the locking-bars G G may he used horizontally to lock a series of doors, s ch as often found in libraries, 850., the bar being located either at the top or bottom of a series of doors, or at any snitableintermediate point.

In Fig. 10, for instance, I have shown the locking-bar G placed at the bottom of the doors and adapted to enter grooves on the under side of all the doors, except the operatingtially the same as described above for-locking the drawers, except that the hinged plate (a is acted upon by the bottom edge of the door D instead of by the side of drawer D.

In some cases I prefer to place the lockingarins G G horizontal instead of vertical, in order to engage with notches g in the under side of one set of drawers and in the top of another set, the underside of the operatingdrawer pressing on the hinged plate a moving the arms G G out in precisely the same manner as described above. It will be clearly seen that by this combination of plain straight locking bar or bars with the two pivotingplates to impart motion to the bar or bars to enter or withdraw from the grooves d in the doors or drawers a simple, efficient, and inexpensive locking device is provided.

locking device consisting of a hinged plate, a,

adapted to be acted on by one of the doors or drawers,a locking-bar and the pivoting-plates g g therefor connected to the said hinged plate to imparta side movement to the said lockingbar to engagewith the doors or drawers, substantially as set forth.

2. The combination of a series ofdoors or drawers of a desk, case, or cabinet having grooves d therein with a locking device consisting of a hinged plate, a, locking-bar G, and the pivoting plates 9 g therefor, said hinged plate a being adapted to be acted upon by one of the doors or drawers, forcing the bar G with a side movement into the grooves din the doors or drawers, substantially as set forth.

3. The combination of a series of doors or drawers of a desk, case, or cabinet having grooves d with a locking device consisting of a hinged plate, a, to be acted upon by one of the doors or drawers, a connecting-link, b, locking bar G, entering the grooves 11 in the doors or drawers, and pivoting plates g g therefor, substantially as set forth.

4. The combination-of two series of drawers or doors of a desk, case, or cabinet with a locking device between the same, consisting oftwo locking-bars, G G, and pivoted plates g g, to the opposite ends of which said bars are connect-ed and by which a sidewise parallel motion is imparted to the bars to lock the drawers or doors, substantially as set forth.

In testimony whereofI have signed my name to this Specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

JAMES XV. HALL;

Witnesses:

' RICHARD W. BRASS,

CHAS. E. HALL. 

